Dig deeply into this seasonβs Shakespeare productions with a special weekend of lectures, discussions and hands-on activities. In partnership with UCSCβs Shakespeare Workshop and The Humanities Institute, this is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about each play during the day and then enjoy the production that same evening. This year, Weekend with Shakespeare will be held at the Audrey Stanley Grove in DeLaveaga Park on August 8th ( Much Ado About Nothing ) and August 9th ( Macbeth ). Admission is free to all, but seating is limited. Please register below to reserve your seats . Schedule for Weekend with Shakespeare Saturday, 8/8 β Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare 11:00 a.m. β Welcome (Sean Keilen, UCSC) 11:15 a.m. β Actor Panel (Charles Pasternak and members of the company, SCS) 12:15 p.m. β Boxed lunch (courtesy of Shakespeare Workshop) 1:00 p.m. β Visiting Scholar (Eli Simon, UC Irvine) 2:00 β End of program Sunday, 8/9 β Macbeth by William Shakespeare 1:00 a.m. β Welcome (Sean Keilen, UCSC) 11:15 a.m. β Actor Panel (Charles Pasternak and members of the company, SCS) 12:15 p.m. β Boxed lunch (courtesy of Shakespeare Workshop) 1:00 p.m. β Visiting Scholar (Eli Simon, UC Irvine) 2:00 β End of program Sean Keilen is Professor of Literature and UC Santa Cruz, the founder of Shakespeare Workshop , and Head of Dramaturgy at Santa Cruz Shakespeare . Charles Pasternak is Artistic Director at Santa Cruz Shakespeare , before which served as Artistic Director of The Porters of Hellsgate Theatre Co in Los Angeles for over fifteen years. He has had a wide-ranging career as an actor and director at theatres across this country including American Players Theatre, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles, three seasons with The Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis and four with Shakespeare Santa Cruz. Eli Simon is a Chancellorβs Professor of Drama at UC Irvine, where he has served as chair and head
From the waves to the redwoods, it's all happening here.
Live music, festivals, art walks, surf contests, trail days and everything in between.
In-person only, on purpose. Everything here is something you can actually show up to. No screens, no streams.
β Featured this season
Coming up
Second Sunday AVALON VISIONS PSYCHIC FAIR
Come to the Second Sunday AVALON VISIONS PSYCHIC and HEALING ARTS FAIR where an array of intuitive professionals is available for your consultation, as well as market stalls filled with inspiring good for purchase. Join us for good vibes the Second Sunday of every month at 2815 Porter Street in Soquel. See you there!
Coming up
Take Out: Rhythms Within
Take Out: Rhythms Within performance at Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center.
Coming up
Whiskers & Brews
12:00-3:00pm Animal Shelter Relief is coming back to our Beer Garden! Grab a beer, meet adorable adoptable animals, and learn about what ASR does to help our local furry friends. Stay for live music afterwards from 3-5pm! ASR is an all-volunteer, non-profit, 501(c)(3) animal rescue based in Santa Cruz, CA. Their mission is to relieve overcrowded animal shelters through rescue, thereby reducing euthanasia. Formed in 2008, Amy Strickland along with 2 former co-workers from the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter started Animal Shelter Relief rescue, the ONLY local animal rescue focusing on cats and special needs animals, that existed at the time. The founders knew what help was needed at the County Animal Shelter and formed a rescue to meet those needs and relieve the overcrowding.
Chamber Choir Auditions
Beati Quorum, a new and growing Ensemble, is seeking new local members. Beati Quorum is a small, hybrid professional / volunteer ensemble based in Santa Cruz. We focus on a cappella singing, Renaissance through contemporary works, and collaborations with artists from our local network to international groups. Visit www.beatiquorum.org to set up an audition today.
βοΈ Happening today
Sunday, August 953 events on today. No plans required, just go.
What's happening
Filter by category, date, or area. Everything listed is in person, county-wide.
5 upcoming events Β· Education Β· from 2026-08-09 Β· to 2026-08-09
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park - Highlights Loop Guided Hike
Highlights Loop Guided Hike- Want to experience the different ecosystems in Henry Cowell State Park first hand? Look no further than this diverse loop through an old-growth redwood forest and the unique Santa Cruz Sandhills. On this guided hike, we will gain 500 feet over 4.5 miles in about 3 hours. Come prepared with good walking shoes and water. Let's plan to meet in front of the Visitor Center at 9:00 am. RSVP here to save your spot!
We are lucky to live in Santa Cruz County, a place most people would love to visit. That makes it the perfection destination for travelers from Workaway. Workaway connects travelers who want to truly experience the culture of the places they visit with hosts who could use some extra help around the house. Longtime hosts Julie and Kischka will talk about how hosting Workaway travelers can lead to cultural exchange and lasting friendships, and Roy and Quin from the Netherlands will share their experiences as Workaway guests. Whether youβre curious about becoming a host or setting off as a traveler, come discover what makes Workaway such a rewarding way to connect with the world. As always, our Sunday Assembly program will also feature small group activities, inspiring readings, and of course, a potluck. Please bring your curiosity, your open heartedness, and a dish to share.
Wing Chun martial arts classes with instructor Marcus at The 418 Project in Santa Cruz, meeting multiple times per week.
Spring Exhibitions at the Institute of the Arts and Sciences
Visit the IAS, UCSCβs premier art galleries, for our spring exhibitions. On view April 10βAugust 16, 2026 are three diverse and interdisciplinary shows: Libia Posada: Everything is Going Right , the first US solo exhibition by the Colombia-based artist and medical doctor; Gina Athena Ulysse: A Redwoods Rasanblaj , a site-specific and immersive exploration of the Haitian kreyol conception of rasanblaj; and Ronaldo V. Wilson: There Are No Words, But Melodies , a mixed-media exhibition emerging at the intersections of Black poetics, performance, and visual art. The IAS Galleries are open Wednesday-Sunday, 12 pm β 5 pm. Admission is free to the public. Libia Posada: Everything is Going Right Libia Posadaβs first solo exhibition in the United States features installations, sculptures, and drawings meticulously constructed from surgical instruments, gauze bandages, crutches, used books, and domestic picture frames. The new and existing works in the exhibition powerfully stitch together the personal, social, and political disorders and afflictions that currently trouble the world, from the wars that resonate across the globe to the violences of aging in US prisons. Gina Athena Ulysse: A Redwoods Rasanblaj: Origins & Disentanglements The internationally-lauded work of humanities professor Gina Athena Ulysse is on view as a premier Faculty Spotlight Exhibition. The site-specific installation, produced in community from things collected, found, purchased and donated, centers on the Haitian concept of rasanblaj, a form of assembly and collage that transcends the formal use of materials to draw together people, spirits, and ideas. Ronaldo V. Wilson: There Are No Words, But Melodies Collage is both a material practice and a structural interrogation in the Faculty Spotlight Exhibition artworks by literature professor Ronaldo V. Wilson. In video, painting, and installation, layers and folds conceal and reveal, delving into the experience, both bodily and emotive, of living in time
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If it's happening in person anywhere in Santa Cruz County, whether it's a show, a market, a paddle-out, or a gallery night, we want it on the calendar. Submissions are free and reviewed by our editors.
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